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And I realize what’s happening

She’s ending this That’s why she hasn’t called, why she looks so forlorn noar breeze blows a few loose strands of hair across her face, and when she lifts her head to pull them away, she sees me Her hands drop from around her middle, and she takes a step forward away froht of her I want to soak her up after the days apart and keep my distance all at the same time

"Hey," she whispers, and I don’t so much hear the word as see it on her lips

"Hey"

"Sorry I’ve not been around"

I want to cross to her, push her up against ht off her lips But I don’t I plant my feet and stay exactly where I as "Nowhere Locked in my room, mostly"

I don’t kno to do stuff like this I’ve never been in a relationship The last feeeks with her are theI’ve ever had, the only relationship, romantic or otherwise, that has ever meant this much I don’t know the rules All I know is that I’ve missed her, that my life seems out of balance without her

"Dylan, I need you to tell ht now, please put me out of my misery and just tell me"

She lifts a hand and traces the outer rio for a drive or soet away for a bit?"

I hesitate, unsure what to think I ht not know much about relationships or breakups, but coo so to dump them

Even when I’m worried about what she’ll say, I still can’t tell her no

"Sure Okay Hop in"

She doesn’t go around to the passenger side Instead she opens my door, and climbs up first I’m surprised to see her sit in the middle seat, and it makes it a little easier to breathe around all the worry She doesn’t act like we’re breaking up, especially when I climb up beside her and she loops her arm around mine when I reach for the stick shift

"Any preference where we go?"

She shakes her head "Sohway south out of town, and take an exit for a shway that leads out to some small towns between here and West Texas I never planned to drive back that way, back in the direction of home, but off the top of my head, it’s the only place I can think of to take her Just before we hit the first shway It’s hts around for h the barbed wire fence and out onto the field of green beyond us I think for a fewus in the dark

"Co out a hand for her to join ate of my truck and lower it

If I were better at this kind of thing, I would have a blanket or so else so she wouldn’t have to sit in the dirty bed of my truck and ruin her nice clothes

But I don’t have a blanket, and I have no fking clue what I’ So I just do whatever comes to mind I climb up in the back and lift her up with ainst the cab and pull her down inthat keeps her clean and warm